Particularly when this individual appears to have had the interim title for several years?
One would assume they are actively searching for a director but have not yet found a suitable candidate. May also be that administration cannot agree on what direction to go in hiring. Hard to know without knowing particulars of the situation.
Yes, it seems like there are numerous possibilities. Not concerned, just curious since interim seems fantastic and happy. Thanks for your comment.
Sometimes the person holding the interim position wants the position and sometimes just happy holding it without the desire and only to fulfill the institutional need.
An interim may convert to a full appointment, especially if they are doing a great job and all parties are happy!
If you have concerns with the direction of the school and this person’s longevity sometimes you can poke around on the school’s website for a type of “newsletter” on the music school/conservatory. You can go to the music depts home page and start clicking around for official communication on the school/conservatory/program. If there are changes going on, you may be able to find PR on the direction of the music school in these official communications. Or there may be an introduction to the “interim” director in the past year explaining more about the position and what the school is doing. If you can’t find anything and the school is a top contender and the interim title is still a concern near decision time, you can always ask administration or even the interim director about it.
Good luck!
At a school I’m familiar with I heard that the “interim” director position was an issue of funding for the full-time position. Even though this was not a new position, there was some kind of budget issue that precluded hiring the “interim” person permanently until the chair was underwritten. (In this case, they had the person they wanted in the position.)
Ah, ok. I hadn’t thought about that possibility. Thanks for your comment.